The Possession of Guilt
by WonderfulAndTragic
Summary: Once five, now four. One disappearance, one dark secret. One state, one small town. One teacher, one student, one great scandal. One genius, one killer. One swimmer, one fashion lover. And one who held all of them together.
1. Chapter 1

In the distance, an owl screeched. She was alone in the dark forest and was scared to death. She heard something above her head and then it disappeared. The full moon cast its glow down onto a little path, where she finally made her way over to. She had cuts all along her arms and legs, and her tights had tears all in them. Blood stained her hands and dirt covered her face. The air was chilly and she had chill bumps. She shouted Ali out into the dark night, but she heard nothing but the echo of her own voice. She tried again and again, but the only reply she kept getting was her own echo. She decided to finally give up and stumbled down the little path she had found her way to, with only the moon light guiding her. She finally found her way to the road and eventually made it back to her house in Rosewood. She opened the house door quietly and made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She looked into the mirror and saw her horrid reflection staring back at her. She quickly ran across the hall to the bathroom and showered, washing away all evidence of what had happened. No one would ever know. No one would ever find out. These were the words she thought as she washed away everything she had done. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her and walked back to her bedroom. A quick glance at the clock told her it was a little past midnight. If her parents asked, she would say that she couldn't sleep and decided to take a shower. They wouldn't question her though, and she knew it. She put on her pajamas and gently slid into bed, letting sleep overtake her and she hoped that when she awoke in the morning that it would all be a dream, but she knew better.

*1 Year later*

Aria was getting ready for her first stay of her junior year at Rosewood High. She was meeting her three best friends Spencer, Hanna and Emily in the parking lot of the school twenty minutes before school started. She quickly thought back to 9th grade summer. There were five of them, not four. She tried not to recall what happened, but sometimes the guilt got to her and she had a mental breakdown, but soon recovered herself. She hadn't had one in a while, but when the other girls mentioned her, Ali, she would break down. They just thought it was because no one knew what happened to Ali and that she missed her since they were the closest out of the group, but if only they knew the truth. But Aria promised herself that she would never tell what happened to anyone. _Anyone._ She snapped back into reality and finished her makeup and then headed downstairs and grabbed a blueberry muffin, kissed her mom goodbye and made her way to her car. Once inside, she turned on the radio and made the all too familiar drive to the high school. She pulled into her usual parking spot next to Spencer and got out of her car. She was the last one to arrive, but she didn't care. They formed their colossal group and made the short trek to the entrance of the school.

"What's your first class?" Aria asked the girls. They all looked down at their schedules and replied one at a time.

"AP Lit," said Spencer.

"Same," said Emily.

Hanna looked at them and then looked down at her schedule again. "I have Spanish. That sucks."

"Let me see?" said Spencer. Hanna handed her the schedule and then Spencer looked at her like she was stupid. "Han, you have the same class as us. This is for next semester."

"Oops," said Hanna, while snatching her schedule back from Spencer.

The girls laughed and entered the building. They entered their first period class and found a seat. Aria sat in the next to last row in the middle, while Spencer sat up front with Emily behind her and Hanna beside Aria.

Hanna leaned over and whispered into Aria's ear. "I hear the new teacher is hot!"

Aria silently laughed and then leaned over towards Hanna's desk. "Well, if he is, I'm sure half the school's population that takes his English class will have a major improvement on their grades. The state won't even know what happened!" She laughed.

Hanna started laughing as well and the class all turned to look at them. They continued laughing and even when the teacher walked in, they kept laughing. He looked at them and then looked around the class before finally ending his gaze on Aria. She smiled at him and in response, he flashed a pearly white smile in her direction. Her heart sped up a little. He went to his desk and picked up the role sheet and proceeded to call the names.

He called the names and then when he got to Aria's he paused for a second. "Aria? That's an unusual name. I like it," he said before she said present. He looked up to the girl who had responded to the name and his gaze lingered on Aria a little longer than usual and then flashed her a smile again. He now knew who this girl was and he was sure going to find out more about her. He finished the role and then started to speak. "Hello class. My name is Ezra Fitz, but to you all, it is Mr. Fitz. Now, I have simple rules for my class. Rule number one, be on time. Rule number two, no cheating. And rule number three, always try your hardest to succeed in whatever you do. Any questions?"

Aria raised her hand and he quickly called on her. "Yes Aria?"

She smiled and then began to speak, "Have you ever travelled anywhere? And where did you go to college?"

"I have actually travelled. I have been to Iceland, Paris, and Venice, Italy. They are all very beautiful places, if I may say so myself. And to answer your second question, I went to college at Hollis," he said with a smile. He made eye contact with Aria and she with him. Their trance was suddenly broken when someone in the room asked a question.

"Mr. Fitz, what made you want to teach English?" It was Spencer.

"Well, I always had an interest in classic novels and I love to write, but I don't ever get far. Do any of you read classics or even watch classic movies?" he asked.

Aria raised her hand and to his surprise, she was the only one. "I also write," she said shyly.

He looked at her with amazement. Here sat this gorgeous girl with big, intriguing hazel eyes and a love for classics and a passion for writing… He had never met anyone like her before. "That's great! You must really have a passion for it. Like I said, I never get very far with it."

She smiled. "I do. It's my personal escape from reality," she said softly.

He nodded his head and then looked around the class, "Any more questions?" He scanned the class one last time and called on Hanna who had her hand raised.

"Do you have any kids?" she asked with curiosity.

"I do not, actually. I'm single, no kids. I am a twenty-four year old man living in a small, cozy apartment," he said with a chuckle.

Aria was in shock. How could a good looking man like him not be married or at least have a girlfriend? Something had to be wrong with him if he was single. She thought and thought, but nothing came to mind. Maybe he was just waiting for the right person to come along. She raised her hand to ask, but the bell rang.

"Well, it was nice meeting you all. Have a good rest of the first day back! Oh, and Aria, could I see you for a second?" he asked.

She was kind of in shock that he wanted her to stay after, but she didn't oblige. "Sure," she said as she got out of her seat. She walked over to his desk, swaying her hips as she went. "Yes?"

"You said you write? Would you mind if I read something you have written? It might inspire me to get back into writing and actually finish something for once."

"Sure, I'll bring you something tomorrow," she said with a smile.

"Oh, and Aria, this might be a little inappropriate, but you are stunning."

She blushed and the bell rang. He must not have a second period she thought as no one was in the class. "Thank you," she replied. "So, this might also be inappropriate, but why are you single? You're very handsome, love classics, and you're smart. Who wouldn't want that?"

He sighed, "Well, I had a girlfriend, Jackie. We were engaged and then she broke it off, saying she wasn't ready for commitment yet. That was about two years ago. I guess I just haven't found the right person yet. Maybe I'll find her soon, though."

"Maybe," Aria said with a smile.

"Well, I suppose you better get to your second period class. Here, let me write you a note," he said as he pulled out a notepad and wrote a pass on it. He handed it to her and she smiled and thanked him before walking out the door. He watched her as she went and wondered what on Earth he was going to do with himself all year with her in his class. He knew he wouldn't be able to just be her teacher, and everything going through his head at the moment was extremely inappropriate.

Aria finished school that day and made her way to the local coffee shop that afternoon. The bell above the door chimed as she walked in and she smiled at the woman behind the counter as she made her way over to it. She ordered her usual and then went to go sit in her normal spot and pulled out her journal to write a new entry, just like she did every day. She was so much in her own world that she jumped when the bell chimed above the door to alert another customer had arrived. She closed her journal and pulled out "To Kill a Mockingbird" and started to read it for the hundredth time. It was her favorite book and she never got tired of it. She wasn't paying attention to the surrounding world, and suddenly a body stood in front of her.

"That's one of my favorites," he spoke.

Aria realized that it was Mr. Fitz and set the book down on her lap and looked up at him. "It's one of my favorites too," she replied with a smile.

"I didn't think any students would be here in a place like this. It doesn't seem like the typical place for them to be," he replied with a chuckle.

"It isn't. I just love the place. It's quiet and I can focus on my work and read in peace without being bothered. I love places like these. What brings you here?" she asked.

"Oh, I just come in here to read and write. Like you," he smiled.

"That's nice, Mr. Fitz," she retorted.

"Please, call me Ezra out of school. So, are you hungry?"

Aria smiled at him. "A little," she replied.

"Would you like to come with me to get something to eat? We can go to that little restaurant around the corner here, if you'd like. They have excellent food," he said.

"That sounds nice. Just let me grab my things," she answered.

"Please, allow me," he said as he reached down to grab her things and then proceeded to grab the book out of her hands. Their hands brushed and Ezra swore he felt electricity run through his veins. He wondered if she had felt it too. He helped her up and then they walked out of the shop and over to her car.

"Backseat okay?" he asked her. She nodded her head and then locked the car back once he put her things inside. They made the short trek to the restaurant and once inside, they got seated right away. They talked about their favorites and about themselves before she almost let her darkest secret slip. Something she swore she would never tell anyone.

"Please excuse me, I really have to go. Dinner was lovely, thank you. See you tomorrow, Ezra." She quickly pushed the chair back and walked out and jogged to her car. Once inside, she turned on the air and laid her head back against the seat. How could she almost let that slip? He was just so easy to talk to and she was rambling on and on. She now knew she had to watch what she said around him. Tomorrow was going to be a long, long day she thought to herself. She went home and changed into her pajamas and got into bed. She normally didn't go to bed this early, but after everything that had happened; she thought it would be best. She drifted off, only to be haunted by her dreams. The dreams she hated having. The dreams that always brought back the horrible thing she had done. The thing she regrets. The thing that caused her to lose someone closest to her. Something she could never, ever take back. But more importantly, something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. And to be honest, Aria didn't know if she was going to be able to hold it in any longer.


	2. The Confession

**I didn't get as many reviews as I would like for the first chapter of this story, but I'm not going to let that discourage me. I will continue to update this story for my pleasure. (: Please read and review! Enjoy!**

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Aria woke up the next morning to the sunlight streaming down on her face through the window. She let out a low grumble and then pulled the covers over her face. Before long there was a loud knock on her bedroom door.

"Aria! Get up! It's 7:30!" Ella shouted from the other side of the door.

"I'm up!" she yelled. "Crap. I must have fallen back asleep," she said to herself. She slowly drug herself out of her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stepped in. The warm water felt nice and it helped to wake her up. She quickly showered and stepped out. She brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom and went back to her room to get dressed. She rummaged through her closet and pulled out a white ruffle blouse and a tribal print skirt and put them on. She quickly scanned her shoes and decided on a black pair of ankle high boots. She blow dried her hair and then grabbed her make up case and put it in her bag before grabbing her books and running down the stairs and out to her car. She wasn't going to have time to stop and get her morning coffee, so she went on to school. She got there later than she had anticipated. She quickly got out of her car and ran up to the building. The last bell rang as she opened Mr. Fitz's classroom door. Everyone turned their head to look at her and she blushed and quickly made her way to her seat. Ezra looked at her and gave her a faint smile before going back to writing the assignment on the board. She got out her notebook and started copying what he had written. He finished what he was writing and went to sit down at his desk. He noticed that Aria kept eyeing his coffee thathe had lying on his desk, so he didn't touch it.

Aria was the first to finish her assignment and she walked up to Mr. Fitz's desk to turn it in. She made her way back to her desk and pulled out her makeup and a mirror and started to apply it. She was finished within five minutes and put her things away and then started on her homework assignment. Before long, the bell rang and all the students gathered their things and headed out the door. Aria was last as usual.

"Hey Aria, let me see you for a second," Mr. Fitz said.

"Yeah?" she said as she made her way over to his desk.

"Here, take this. You seemed a little off this morning, and considering what time you walked into class, I know you need this. Oh, and by the way, you look just as gorgeous without makeup," he said with a wink.

"Thanks, Mr. Fitz. I really appreciate this," Aria said with a smile.

"It's no problem, Aria. And if you ever need help or need to talk about anything, I'm here. Remember that," he said to her as she turned to walk away.

"I will," she replied, while turning her head and flashing him a small smile while walking out the door.

The rest of Aria's day went by smooth after that. She stopped into Mr. Fitz's classroom after school to talk to him.

"Aria, what a surprise! Is there anything you need?" he asked her.

"Uh, no. I just wanted to thank you again for the coffee this morning. The funny thing is, I drink the same coffee every morning. Ironic, isn't it?" she said with a small laugh.

"A little. Hey, would you mind meeting me tonight? Please? There is something I feel we should discuss," he said as he walked over to his desk and grabbed a piece of paper and scribbling his number on it. "Here, take this. Just text me your number and I'll text you the details."

"Okay, sounds like a deal," she said with a smile.

She walked out the door and went to her car. She got home and texted Ezra her number and he replied instantly. She smiled when she recognized the apartment he had texted her. It was only three blocks away, right by the coffee shop she goes to every day. She texted him back saying she would be there at 4, leaving her thirty minutes to get there.

Before long, it was 4 and she was walking down the hall to his apartment door. She stopped when she reached his door and lifted her hand to knock.

"Oh, Aria! I'm sorry, I thought I would be back by now!" shouted Ezra as he ran down the hall holding four grocery bags in his hands.

"Here, let me take those," she said with a laugh.

"No, I have this. I invited you over and I'm not going to let you hold these bags. That would be extremely rude of me!" he exclaimed.

"Technically, since I offered, I wouldn't consider it to be rude," she said with a smirk.

"Still not letting you take them from me." He shuffled the bags around in his arms and finally found his apartment key and unlocked his door, allowing Aria to walk in first.

"Oh, wow! Your apartment is so… you!" she marveled.

"Uh, thanks?" replied Ezra. He was now in the kitchen getting the groceries out of the bags he had set on the counter. "Do you like Spaghetti?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Of course I do! Who doesn't?!" she questioned.

"Hey I was just making sure! I didn't want to cook it and you not eat it!" he replied before laughing at how she was scanning his bookshelf and walking around his apartment.

Aria walked around and looked at photos on his desk and bedside table. She then proceeded to his bookshelf and looked at all of his books. He had all of her favorites. Afterwards, she moved to his movie collection, and once again, he had all of her favorites, plus a few. She had never met anyone who had as much in common with her as he did. She was just scared that she would get too close with him and reveal that dark truth she didn't want anyone to know about. But if he did find out, there was only so much she would be able to do.

She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts as Ezra called her name from his kitchen. "Aria!"

She walked into the kitchen and stood beside him, admiring him. "Yes?" she asked quizzically.

"Why don't you sit in here with me? I want to get to know more about you before we sit down to eat."

She pulled out a bar stool and took a seat. She propped her elbows on the table and leaned over. "So, any siblings?" she asked him.

"Younger brother, Wesley. My parents are divorced, I don't have anything to do with my mom, and I barely see my brother. How about you? Any siblings?"

She silently laughed to herself on how he answered her "any siblings" question. "Um, yeah. I have a brother Mike. He is a couple years younger than me. You might get lucky and have him in your class in a couple years. And if he does end up in your class, good luck, Mr. Fitz," she retorted.

"Well, thanks for the warning," he answered. He finished stirring the meat and came over and sat down across from Aria. He looked her dead in the eyes and she swore she saw his soul. "You're beautiful," he blurted.

Aria's face flushed a bright red and she couldn't hide it. This was so inappropriate, her being at a teacher's apartment after school, him cooking dinner for her, and then calling her beautiful. Strangely though, she didn't want to leave. She should have wanted to leave, but something about him just drew her in further and she didn't want to escape from him. There was something special about him that she hadn't found in any other guy she had liked before.

Seconds passed before she finally made eye contact with Ezra again. "Thank you." She smiled at him and he reached across the table and took her hand in his own.

"I know this is wrong on so many levels, and I know we just met yesterday, but something about you is different than most. You are more mature than anyone I have ever met your age and mine. You're captivating, Aria. I want you to know that, and I think I want you to be my girlfriend. We could use tonight to get to know each other better. When I touch you, I feel sparks. I feel electricity surge through my veins. I feel alive. I have never felt that way before. Please tell me you feel the same," he whispered.

Staring at Ezra with an expression of admiration, she spoke softly, "I feel the same way about you, Ezra. I would like to date you as well."

He gently rubbed his thumb across hers and smiled a smile of relief at her. He once again flashed his gorgeous boyish-smile at her and she marveled over it once more.

Aria glanced behind Ezra and noticed the water was boiling over in the pot and quickly jumped out of her seat and moved the pot to a different burner and turning the heat down. She moved it back to its original place and added the noodles, letting Ezra watch her cook. He managed to get up and take her place and allow her to sit back down. He finished cooking and before long, served the meal. They ate in a comfortable silence and washed the dishes together afterwards, which resulted in a fight with the soap. They giggled and enjoyed every minute of it, until Aria had to go home.

"I had a magnificent time tonight, Aria. I hope you did as well. This was definitely one of the best nights I've had in forever. I really needed it, and to spend it with you made it all worth the while. Good night," he said, giving a sheepish smile and pulling her in for a hug.

"It was nice," she replied. She inhaled his scent and then pulled away. She flashed him her pearly-white smile and retreated out of his apartment, the smile that graced her lips not leaving. Tonight had been the best night to date, and it got her mind off of everything. Except the fact that tomorrow was the 16th birthday of Ali, the one who was no longer in their little close knit group. And all at once, the memories flooded back to haunt her once more.


	3. Reality Hits Hard

**Thanks for the reviews last chapter! I hope everyone who is reading this story is enjoying it! (:**

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Aria woke up wrapped up in the warmth of her covers. She glanced at her alarm and noticed that it was a little after six thirty. She unplugged her phone from its charger and unlocked it, reading all of her missed text messages. She had three from Spencer, two from Hanna, one from Emily, and one from Ezra. She smiled when she noticed that the last one was from Ezra. She looked at the time it was sent to her and it was sent fifteen minutes before she woke up. She quickly typed back a response and asked him what color she should wear today. She got up and went across the hall to shower, and made her way back to her room ten minutes later. She picked up her phone and read the message that Ezra had sent her.

"Hm, purple. That's a nice change," she said to herself as she walked to the closet, letting the towel drop. She rummaged through the closet until she found a one-shouldered purpled blouse that she had forgotten she had. She paired it with a black mini skirt and grabbed a pair of knee high black boots out of her closet. Once she was dressed, she completed her makeup and decided to straighten her hair since she had more than enough time. Once she was finished, she made her way downstairs and grabbed a muffin. She walked out the door and drove to the little coffee shop she always went to in the mornings to get her morning coffee. Once inside, reality gave her a nice slap in the face as she recalled what day it was. Hanging behind the counter was a picture of Ali and how long she had been missing and how old she would now be. How could she have forgotten? It was Ali's 16th birthday. She had forgotten all about it, and now her day was entirely ruined because of this. Because she knew the reason why Ali wasn't here and she knew exactly where she was, but she wasn't going to dare open her mouth and spill that to anyone. She knew how dangerous it was and she knew exactly what the consequences would be, which is exactly why she wouldn't risk anything, anything at all.

Aria walked out of the coffee shop, and got back into her car. She drove to the school and got there thirty minutes early, like she had expected to. She looked in the mirror of her car and cleaned up her makeup as best she could, as she had been crying on the way to school once her feet landed on the cement outside of the coffee shop. She got out of her car, grabbed her things, and headed to her first block class. She opened the door and noticed that not any other students had arrived yet, although now thinking of it, she was basically the only car in the student parking lot besides, like, two others.

"Hey, Ezra," she said with a bright smile.

"Hey!" he nearly shouted with enthusiasm.

She went to her seat and set her things down on the desk and walked back up front the Ezra's.

"You look stunning today, if I may say so," he spoke.

"Thanks," she replied.

Ezra looked at her beautiful face and noticed something was off. Then he realized that she had been crying. "Aria, what's wrong? I can tell you've been crying. Please tell me," he pleaded.

She broke down right then and there, in front of him, not holding back any of the emotions she felt. "One.. One of my best f-fr-friends' birthdays is.. is today," she choked out.

Ezra walked over to Aria and pulled her into a warm and comforting embrace. Something he knew that she needed right now in this particular moment. What he didn't know was that she would need it even more in about a minute when she finished her story. He let her finished crying and then she pulled away and began to speak again.

"Her birthday is today. She would be sixteen. She has been missing for a little over a year now. She disappeared over the summer after our ninth grade year. No one knows what happened to her. Her name was Ali, well, actually it was Alison. Alison DeLaurentis. She was the leader of our group. She was controlling and a manipulating bitch, but we still loved her. She was one of our best friends. Everyone envied her, even the girls and I. I just don't know why someone would want to hurt her. I mean, she was evil and twisted, but not worth hurting. She could be the sweetest, down-to-earth person at times. We miss her. I miss her. She and I were the closest. Now it is Spencer and I," Aria said.

Ezra pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, "Aria, I can tell there is something you aren't telling me, but I'm not going to make you tell me. You don't have to, so please don't feel pressured to do so. I'm so sorry about what happened with Alison. And just remember, I'm always here."

Aria hugged him a little bit tighter and then pulled away and kissed his cheek, before making her way to her seat. Students would be arriving to class any minute and she didn't want to get caught hugging her teacher, as it would get both of them in serious trouble. Hell, last night would probably get them into serious trouble as well, even though it was after school hours and not on the campus. Soon enough, Spencer walked in followed by Hanna and Emily. You could tell they were upset, just by looking at them. Before long, the entire class was there and the room was nothing but gloominess. Everyone was taking her birthday hard, which kind of surprised her. Not everyone liked Ali, but she noticed that even the ones that hated her were a little upset. The day passed slowly, none of the teachers really teaching because they knew what day it was as well. After school, the girls' visited Ali's little memorial they had put together, as her body had yet to be located. They spent an hour there, talking about how life was going, crying, and comforting each other.

Aria arrived home later that evening and her mom had just finished cooking dinner when she walked through the door. "I'm home!"

"Dinner is ready, honey! If you don't feel like eating, I understand," said Ella.

"No, I'll eat. I think I've shed all the tears I can today. I don't think it's possible to cry anymore," Aria replied.

Ella walked over to her daughter and pulled her into an embrace, just as Ezra had done earlier in the day. They all sat down as a family and ate in silence. After dinner, Aria helped her mom do the dishes and then went upstairs to her room and started on her homework. She had an English assignment that was due the next day, and she hadn't started it yet. She knew Ezra would give her an extra day to work on it, but she didn't feel like getting special treatment. She pulled out her laptop and began to type up her paper over her favorite book. Before she realized it, it was almost midnight and she had typed nearly four thousand words, greatly exceeding what the paper had to be by three thousand words. She didn't care and just saved it to her flash drive and putting it into her bag. She got up off her bed and made her way across the hall to use the bathroom and brush her teeth and then went back to her room and crashed.

The next morning, she repeated her morning process all over again, this time dressing herself in a maroon colored dress that was mid-thigh. She got to class about twenty minutes early and went ahead and gave Ezra her flash drive.

"I don't think you'll want to print that. Or read all of it," she said before laughing.

"And why is that?" he asked with curiosity, a smile plastered onto his face.

"It's, um, a little over four thousand words," she spoke, giving a shy smile.

He smiled at her and shook his head. "Over achiever are we?" he joked.

She playfully slapped his arm and he pulled her in for a hug. "I'm going to read every last bit of it, Miss Montgomery, whether you like it or not."

She laughed and walked to her desk, sitting down and waited for the other students to pile into the classroom. Once everyone was inside, Ezra started the lecture for the day, assigning another paper. He knew Aria would probably go over the normal for this one too, so just for the heck of it, and to hear the class groan, he decided he would make them type three thousand words. Aria smiled when he let out this information and the class grumbled like he had expected them too. It was such a funny sight.

After class, Aria stayed behind. "Did you make it that many words just for me?" she asked.

"Well, since you typed over that last time, I figured I would just put it in your range this time," he said with a coy smile.

"Suits me," she said as she walked out of the classroom, swaying her hips sexily as she went.

School went by fast and she decided she would go to Spencer's after school. When she got there, they ordered pizza and went up to her room.

"I can't believe Ali would have been sixteen yesterday. She was the youngest, yet the brightest in the most ways, out of all of us," said Spencer.

"She was," replied Aria.

"What is your problem, Ar? You act like you don't want to talk about her, yet you were her best friend. I know she isn't dead. I just have this feeling, Aria. I think she is just messing with us, making this one big joke, somehow disappearing for over a year."

"Spence, she is DEAD. SHE ISN'T COMING BACK! SHE DIED OVER THE SUMMER OF NINTH GRADE IN THE WOODS!"

Before she realized it, the words had left her mouth and she got up and ran down the stairs and out of the house. Spencer was left there, the words finally registering and her face nothing but frozen in shock.

"Oh my god! What have I just done?!" cried Aria as she fell to her knees.


	4. Secrets

**So I got one review last chapter, but I am really enjoying writing this story, so I will continue to update. (: Enjoy!**

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Aria lay there on the hard ground, crying and crying, not letting the tears stop from flowing. Spencer stood at her bedroom window, watching as her friend broke down outside in her yard, while she kept a hardened face. Should she turn her in? She had basically just confessed to murdering Ali, but Aria was also her best friend, and she knew she had a good reason to do this, as she never hurt anyone, and if she did, she apologized profusely for it even if it was just by accident.

Spencer finally decided to go outside to where Aria was and she let her facade fall as soon as she saw how fragile Aria looked. She embraced Aria and rubbed her back in a soothing manner, letting her own tears escape. Aria greatly accepted her friend's nurturing manner and began to comfort Spencer as well.

"Spence, I'm sorry about the outburst. I never wanted to tell anyone about this, but with everything that happened today, I couldn't hold it in any longer. It was breaking my heart piece by piece the more someone mentioned her name or said something that she had done. I couldn't handle it anymore, and when you brought it up, I just had to let the truth escape. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I know you probably hate me right now, and I'm sure you will call the cops and have me turned in, but I'm okay with that. I committed a murder, a horrendous one at that and I should pay the punishment. I shouldn't get away with this. It isn't fair to Ali. It isn't fair to you, Hanna or Emily. It isn't fair to Ali's parents or Jason. It isn't fair to anyone, Spence," Aria rambled.

Spencer pulled back from her friend and looked at her with sincerity. "Aria, I know you feel guilty about this, and I know it isn't fair to anyone, but I wouldn't turn you in if I had too. You are my best friend and I couldn't do that to you. Now don't think I didn't stand at my window for fifteen minutes contemplating on whether or not to call the police, but I knew it wouldn't do any good because of who they are and I couldn't stand to watch you break down any longer. I couldn't stand to see you hurting the way you were and I knew that if I called them, it would only make things worse. Now, I'm going to let you explain everything that happened to me, and then I will let you decide if you want to call the girls or if you just want to keep this between us."

Aria smiled at her friend and realized right then and there, in that moment, that if she didn't have Spencer, she didn't know what she would do in times like these. "I don't think I want to tell the others, but I also don't know if I'll be able to tell you right now either, Spencer. I'd like to give you and I both the time to let this sink in, knowing as you just found out. Is that okay?" Aria asked.

"That is fine. That might be for the best anyway right now," Spencer replied.

The two girls got up off the ground and went back to Spencer's room. Aria pulled her iPhone out of her pocket and went to Ezra's name in her contacts and then sent him a text message.

"Spence, I have something to tell you, and I don't know how you are going to feel about it."

Spencer looked at her confused. "Aria, I don't know what could possibly be worse than what you just told me. So with that said, please continue."

"Ez… Mr. Fitz and I, well, um, we are, um, dating," Aria managed to get out while chancing to glance at Spencer who had a shocked expression on her face.

"Aria! What the hell! You and Fitz?! Do you understand how much trouble this could get both of you in?! Oh, wait, you could already be in trouble! Maybe I should have called the police, that way you and him could be sitting up inside the jail together. That actually sounds pretty good right now, doesn't it?" Spencer said with pure anger towards her friend.

Aria sat there, stunned by what her friend had just spit out of her mouth. First she was angry, then she was comforting Aria, and now she was back to being angry with her. What the hell was wrong with her? Aria couldn't figure this one out.

"Spencer, listen. I don't know what has gotten into you. You were angry, then comforting me, and now you are angry again, so would you please care to explain? I can't take this. I need to know if you are with me or against me."

"Aria, I don't know how many more secrets I can take. You can't hide all of this away forever, you know."

"Spencer, I don't think you understand how much pain I go through every day. Every day of my life that passes, its torture. You might think you understand that and know the pain that I go through, but truth be told, you have no idea what the hell it is like. You didn't have to stand there and watch her die, you didn't have to hide the secret for more than a year, you don't have to live with the guilt," Aria said as she broke down. "And right now, I don't think you really want to be my friend, so for now, I don't want to speak with you."

Aria got up off the bed and walked out the door.

"If she only knew I didn't feel like speaking to her either," Spencer whispered to no one as she made her way to her window seat and sat down, pulling out her phone and calling her mother, the one she knew could get Aria put in jail.

*Hours Later

Aria made her way down the hall to Ezra's apartment, stopping in front of door 3B and knocking three times before dropping her hands beside her waist as she waited. She heard footsteps making their way to the door and she rocked on her heels as the door opened.

"Hey!" greeted Ezra with that charming smile she loved so much.

"Hey," she managed to utter.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She looked at him with those big, hazel eyes and he could tell something was about to be said that wasn't going to be good.

"Ezra, I need to confess something… something bad. Something that you will probably hate me for and be scared of me for. Something that will make your perspective of me change tremendously."

Ezra looked at her confused for a second before nodding his head and pulling her over to the couch and then gesturing for her to continue.

"Ezra, remember Ali? The friend that I told you went missing?" he nodded his head to signify that he remembered and she continued, "well she really isn't missing. She is dead. And I… I was the one who killed her."

Silence filled the room and Ezra looked at her, wondering how this sweet girl could do such a thing.

She looked away from his blazing stare and looked at the floor. "It was a dark night. Owls were screeching. I remember the night vividly. We were out in the town, just left from the small café around the block from her house. She said something about my dad cheating on my mom and it pissed me off and I suggested we go for a walk on this little trail that I knew of in the woods nearby. She agreed and we walked into the woods, onto the trail. I hit her with a boulder, a great blow to the skull, and she fell to the ground. Next thing I know, I was getting up off the ground, burying her and making my way back to the house."

"Aria, I have a question," said Ezra.

"Yeah?"

"What happened after you hit her with the boulder?"

"I got up off the ground and buried her. I just said that."

"No, Aria, I meant do you remember everything after hitting her? You wouldn't be getting up off the ground if you had thrown a boulder at her skull. You would still be standing. It doesn't add up." Replied Ezra.

Aria sat there thinking about it for a minute, only to realize what Ezra said was right. And now that she thought about it, she could have sworn she heard something or someone following them in the woods that night. And as this realization sank in, she realized she might not be guilty after all. Little did she know that the police would be at her house within an hour to arrest her.


	5. Not What They Wished For

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while and that this is extremely short. I have been busy with school and what not but now school is out so I should be able to update more often. For those of you who read this story, thank you for the reviews and staying with me. (: Enjoy!**

* * *

Aria wrapped herself in Ezra's arms, the one place where she felt safe. After a while, she pulled back and looked at him, giving a barely noticeable smile.

"I should get going now," said Aria quietly.

"I'll walk you out," Ezra replied with a smile.

Ezra walked her out to her car and kissed her goodbye before she drove off. Little did they know, this would be the last time they would see or speak to each other for days to come.

When Aria went to pull into her driveway, she noticed that there were police cars sitting there. She calmly pulled up and stepped out of her vehicle and made her way up the porch steps and through her front door. She heard voices coming from the living room and her mother crying. She put on a brave front and walked into the living room, glancing back and forth between her mother and the detectives.

Ella looked up at her daughter through tear-filled eyes. "Aria, I know you didn't do this. Please, tell them you didn't kill Ali. You couldn't have."

"Mom, I can't say that I didn't kill her. I was the last person she was with, and truth be told, I have believed this past year that I killed her, but now I don't think I have. Granted I did throw a boulder at her skull, but I was mad. I had no intention on killing her. I couldn't do that. I believe someone else killed her though. If I threw a boulder at her, I would still be standing. I wouldn't be on the ground," answered Aria. The police didn't care though about what she had just said to her mother, they were already handcuffing her and leading her out of the house to the back of the squad car.

Three hours later, Aria was in a holding cell waiting for her lawyer to arrive. He soon showed up, and Aria retold her story to him. A week had passed and Aria's court date was approaching.

Two days later, Aria sat in the court room, watching Veronica Hastings, the DA, go against her. She watched as the scene unfolded before her, scared to death for every second that passed. Aria hadn't heard from any of her friends except for Emily, who believed that she was innocent. Spencer would show up to the court and watch every day that passed. On the last day though, she broke down, watching as her friend was found guilty, having to serve twenty-five years with chance of parole, now realizing she shouldn't had done what she did. She was remorseful and petrified at the thought or Aria hating her forever for putting her behind bars. Veronica Hastings saw this though, but didn't dare open her mouth about what she knew.

Two weeks had passed and Aria was finally getting accustomed to being behind bars. Spencer would come and visit every day, apologizing profusely for what she had done and Aria apologized as well for acting the way she did the day she exited Spencer's house. Ezra would come and visit her every other day, and they would spend the entire visiting hour together, him not leaving until he had to.

Spencer kept coming and visiting, herself and Aria growing closer as the days passed. Three months had passed and Spencer was now investigating what Aria had told her and what Aria had said at court about someone following them. She wanted to go to her mom, but knew her mom would think she was crazy for wanting her help after wanting her to put Aria in jail, so Spencer just kept investigating by herself.

Ezra was living life day by day, worried about how Aria might not graduate with her class the following year if she got too far behind. She wasn't too worried about it though, because Spencer was bringing her her work and she was studying and passing the test. Ezra knew she should be alright, but still, he cared for her deeply and worried about her more than he worried about himself. Every day that passed was torturous for him because she wasn't in his class, and more importantly, he couldn't hold her in his arms like he longed for all day long. His movie nights were lonely and no one could drag him out of his apartment, no matter how hard they might try. It had been a little over one hundred days since Aria had been locked away, and Ezra didn't know how he was going to handle another twenty years without her. He wondered if there was any way to get her free, shorten her sentence, but he knew that it probably wasn't possible. Then he found out what Spencer was working on, and had been working on for the past couple months.

Spencer and Ezra teamed up, each sharing what they knew from what Aria had told them. Both the stories collaborated, and everything matched up, with the exception of few details that each knew thrown in every now and then. They each underwent their own investigations, and at the end of another three months, Spencer had found out some startling news. News that she didn't want to tell anyone. News that made her avoid people she trusts. News that would make headlines and stay there for months on end. News that would tear everyone in her life apart. News that would stay with her for the rest of her life. And most importantly, news that would break Aria's heart.


	6. The Hardest Part is Always Goodbye

Sorry if this is short... i typed it up on my phone because at the moment i dont have my computer with me.. haha. This is basically a filler chapter for the big event that is going to take place next chapter! (: anyways, hope you enjoy! please review! they mean the world! (:

* * *

Aria was waiting for Spencer to come and visit her for the day. She was always punctual and today she hasn't yet shown up. Ezra had visited her the previous day and his day wasn't until tomorrow so if Spencer didnt show up today, she would just have to wait until then. With only thirty minutes left to visiting hours, Aria was ready to give up on Spence ever showing up. Right before she grabbed her journal though to begin writing, a guard came to her cell.

"Your friend is here to visit you."

Aria quickly nodded her head and made her way over to the cell so he could handcuff her. Once she was handcuffed, he opened the cel door and she followed him down the long hallway to the visiting room.

"I didn't think you were coming today! I was about to..." Aria suddenly stopped speaking as she took in Spencer's disheveled look. "Oh my god! Spencer what is wrong?!"

Spencer looked up at her and her eyes were vacant with no emotion whatsoever. With five words Spencer responded. "I can't visit you anymore." She pushed the chair back and walked out the doors leaving Aria there with tears running down her cheeks. The guard came over to her and handcuffed her once more and took her back to her cell.

Once back in the cell, Aria pulled out the journal that Ezra had given to her and began writing in it. She poured all of her emotions onto three pages and tears were covering the pages, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that she had just lost another friend; her best friend at that. She laid down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

Aria awoke at around lunch the next day and had slept through breakfast, but she didn't care. She was empty inside and she hoped Ezra would still come today and see her; she needed the comfort only he could provide. With only hope getting her through the first few hours of being awake, she waited not so patiently to see if Ezra would arrive. At the beginning of visiting hours, Ezra showed up right on time. She repeated the usually process and made her way down the long corridor to the visiting room. Ezra hugged her and she sat down across from him, gazing into his beautiful crystal blue eyes.

"So, Spencer is no longer going to come and see me. She said that she couldn't so this anymore. Have any idea why she would say something like that? It's been eating at me all night and I cried myself to sleep, Ezra. How could she just do this to me? She is my best friend and the one person I know I can trust other than you. She had always been there for me through thick and thin and I don't know how I can continue to be in this hell hole and not have any contact with her!" She all but screamed as tears rolled down her face.

Ezra looked at her sympathetically and then reached over and wiped the tears from his girlfriends face. He couldn't stand to see her this way. She already seemed a little distraught but now she was worse. He tentatively grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, trying his best to calm her.

"Aria, honey, I don't know why Spencer is doing this all of a sudden. If you want me too, I will try and talk to her and see what is going on. I know you haven't done anything to her to make her do this. I promise I will so whatever I can." He smiled at her reassuringly and she just nodded her head in response. Ezra could tell this was going to be a long visit. One that would be painful to sit through if she wasn't willing to speak to him. He continued to rub her hand and she stared at him, expressionless. He wanted nothing more than to take her home with him, cuddle on the couch and watch old movies, but he knew that was impossible and it would stay that way for a long time. Tears began feeling his eyes as he though about this and Aria soon snapped out out her haze and started speaking.

"Ezra! What's wrong? Why are you crying? Baby!"

He wiped a tear that had fallen from his eye and looked her in the eyes. "I was just thinking how I won't be able to take you home with me and how we won't be able to cuddle on my old leather couch and watch old movies like I know you would love too. It's hard coming in here, Aria. I'm sorry to have to say that, but it's the god honest truth and I honestly hate it. You have no idea. I love you, I really do, and I wouldn't trade you for anything in this world, but it's so hard walking in here to see you and know I can't leave with you. I might not show it, but I'm in serious pain, honey. There is a constant ache in my chest and I can't get rid of it. When I'm in class teaching, I always glance at that desk hoping that all of this is a nightmare and that you will suddenly be sitting there, but that never happens. The girls miss you, I know they do. They might not come and see you, but I know they miss you. We are good at faking how we feel, Aria. We have grown to accept the fact that you won't be getting out any time soon and we are gonna have to deal with this. I'm sorry to say all of this at once," Ezra rambled on.

Aria just stared at him blankly, not sure what exactly to say at first. She eventually found the words to speak though.

"Ezra, baby, I had no idea you felt that way. I mean I guess I should have known you did, but I guess I just tried not to think about it. I've out everyone through so much pain and I wish I wasn't in here. I am innocent, Ezra and I shouldn't be in here, yet here I am, having to have visitors. And you want to know the saddest part about all of this? I'm only 17 and having to do this. I have an ache in my chest too, everyday. One that is still there, taunting me. I'm sorry for all of the pain Ezra. I truly am."

They gazed at each other with pure love in their eyes. "Aria, I love you and I promise I'm not gonna stop visiting you. I will be here every other day just like always. You can count on that, okay?"

She nodded her head and then let the tears flow. "Ezra, thank you. Thank you for loving me and being there when I need you the most, but what I'm about to say is going to kill us both on the inside and I don't want to do this." She let out a sob and wiped her face before continuing, "I think you need to forget about me. I'm going to be in here for another fifteen years at least, and by then you can have the family I know you want. I don't want to hold you back from that. If I know I did, it would make me feel even more worse than I so at the moment. You need to be with someone who can be there with you at all times and who you can kiss and hug and make love to when ever you want. I don't want to be the reason you don't have a life you want. I'm sorry, but please do this for me. Stop all visits and move on. Forget about me and I will forget about you. Please. Please." She begged him as tears rolled down her face.

Ezra stood and nodded his head. "Okay. But just remember this one thing Aria. I would give up anything including the life I had planned just to be with you. I love you and that will never change. Goodbye," he said as he turned and walked out leaving aria with tears running down her face.

She went back into her cell and missed dinner too. She couldn't eat. She had literally made herself sick from what happened earlier. Why she had let the man she loved with all her heart go, she had no idea; the only thing she knew was that it was better for him in the long run. She cried uncontrollably all night long, not getting any sleep. She couldn't sleep. Not after all the pain she had caused herself and for Ezra.


	7. Oops, Did I just say that?

The days following his visit to Aria, Ezra was more miserable than he had ever been in his entire life. She had basically just then shut him out of her life and vice versa. He thought it was hard not being able to see her in class before, but that was when he would visit her every other day. At least he had that to look forward to, but now he had nothing. _Absolutely nothing. _All Ezra wanted was to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay like he had done prior to the present day, but that would no longer be possible. He wondered why she suddenly wanted this. Ezra knew he was Aria's rock, so he couldn't quite ponder a reason and he didn't think he ever would. He didn't mind visiting her and he didn't mind that he was going to have to wait so many years for her to get out, all Ezra cared about was being with her and starting a family when she did get out, no matter how old they may be. The days wore on and Ezra wrote a letter to Aria every day, eventually going to give them all to her. Aria's school work was delivered to Aria by Ella and returned to the school by Ella, since Aria told her mother she didn't need any more help with the lessons since school was about to end. The school year was about to come to an end and Ezra knew he would be more miserable once it ended because he wouldn't be able to still see her handwriting at least. These small things he would miss and they were things that he never thought that he'd have to miss.

* * *

Spencer wasn't acting herself and everyone could tell. She had been acting strange for the past couple weeks and no one knew why. Everyone still thought that she was visiting Aria, but only Ezra and Spencer knew the truth, and she didn't know that he knew. Her head felt like it was going to explode every day that she thought about Aria and how she is innocent and serving time and how she can't face her because of what she knows. Spencer was about to be at her breaking point if she didn't tell someone soon. She thought maybe she should tell Ezra, since they were working together on the snooping, but she decided against it and kept everything bottled inside. She stuck with not telling Ezra until the last day of school. She couldn't handle it any longer. But towards the end of the day, Spencer decided to go and tell him, she couldn't wait until the last day of school. It suddenly seemed too far away.

After her last class of the day, Spencer made her way to Ezra's classroom, knocking on the door before slowly opening it and entering. He was sitting at his desk, grading the last of the finals his class had taken. He looked up from his desk and was shocked to see Spencer standing there, tears forming in her eyes. He swiftly got up from his desk and ran over to her, enveloping her in his arms.

"Spencer, what's wrong. You've been acting so distant lately and not communicating with anyone and I know you stopped visiting Aria, she told me. And now you are in my classroom standing in front of me crying into my chest. Please tell me what's wrong," Ezra pleaded with her.

Spencer slowly pulled away from Ezra and met his gaze. "I know who really killed Ali." Her voice was strained, and Ezra knew it must have been painful for her to finally say those words.

He gently pulled her back into a hug and she cried into his chest for five minutes, letting all her emotions spill out in those tears. When she pulled away again, she went and sat down at a desk and Ezra followed and sat in one directly in front of her. "I stopped visiting Aria because she knew I was investigating and asked me about it. Once I found out who it really was, I couldn't visit her anymore. I couldn't hurt her like that, Ezra. I just couldn't. And before you start thinking it is her parents' it isn't. I know it sounds like it might be, but I promise it's not. It's… it's my mom," Spencer spat out before looking up to Ezra to see how he reacted to her response.

"Spencer, you can't be serious," Ezra said with a stern tone.

"Oh, but I am," Spencer said coldly.

"How did you find this out?" Ezra asked her, wanting to know the full story.

Spencer shifted her gaze to her lap and fiddled with her fingers. "Well, as you know, I was still doing some investigating. I snuck into my mom's office while she was at work and started looking through her files on Aria's case. There wasn't anything different about it that she said in court so I just let it go and when I put the file up, I knocked off a basket that was sitting on top the filing cabinet. A bunch of papers spilled out and I picked them back up to put them back into the basket when one caught my eye because it had Aria's name on the top of it. I noticed that it was like an apology letter but I didn't know what for so I sat down on the floor to read it. When I started reading it, there wasn't a mention to what she was apologizing for other than putting her daughter's best friend behind bars for a murder that she knew Aria didn't commit. I was curious then as to how she knew she really didn't commit it and when I continued reading, I saw where she told her she was sorry for making her think that she killed Ali and that she was now behind bars for twenty five years because of her, and that it wasn't just because she was the one who put her there, but because she was the one who killed Ali. She proceeded to say that she was walking behind them on their way back home and that she was mad at Ali for something that she had said about me and she wanted to talk with her. So she followed them onto the trail, not knowing that Aria was about to hit her. When she followed them onto the trail she hid behind a tree and watched as Aria through the boulder at Ali and then she ran up behind Aria and knocked her unconscious and then she took the boulder and continued to bash Ali with it. Eventually Ali died and she ran away, leaving Aria to do all the dirty work and letting her live with the guilt for over a year," Spencer told Ezra, relaying every detail she had read to him.

Ezra was stunned by all the new information that Spencer had just told him so he just sat there, letting everything register. "So, have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, I've just told you. I can't trust anyone else. I can't even tell Hanna or Emily, Ezra. And I sure as hell can't tell Aria because it will hurt her just like it is hurting me. I can't hurt her any more than she is already hurt. All she has right now is you, and that is one thing I know she loves. She can count on your visits, whereas she can't mine. I don't know how to tell her. I know I need to, but I can't Ezra. It will be too hard. Do you think you could take a letter to her for me? It would mean a lot," Spencer asked with pleading eyes.

Ezra looked at her and tried to fake a smile but failed miserably and Spencer noticed. "I can't really take a letter to her, Spencer. She told me to stop visiting her and move on with my life, but that's the problem, I can't move on. I've been so down in the dumps lately and I just need her. I need to hear her voice and see her beautiful face, but I can't do that when she isn't allowing me to come visit her. Maybe you should just make a stop by there and let her know that you haven't stopped caring about her and that things have come up and just give her a letter or just tell her in person. I know you said it will hurt her, but she needs to know, Spencer. She needs to know that she really isn't guilty and she needs to know that there may be hope that she won't have to stay in prison for her entire sentence and that she can get out in a few months. She needs to know this Spencer, but first, your mother needs to know that you know she killed Ali."

Spencer knew Ezra was right, but she didn't know how she was going to tell her mom and Aria that she knew the truth. "Thank you, Ezra. Thank you for listening and telling me what to do. I appreciate it and see now why Aria is so in love with you." Spencer got up and walked out the classroom, walking down the corridor and exiting the building making her way to her car to start the drive home and she knew once she arrived at her house she would have to have the dreaded conversation with her mother that she didn't want to have, but she had no choice. She had to get it off of her chest again, but this time to the actual murderer. Spencer pulled into her drive and put the car in park, noticing that her mom wasn't home yet. She quickly gathered her things and made her way inside, sitting down at the little bar in her kitchen and thought about what she was going to tell Veronica once she entered the door. Spencer was pulled out of her thoughts ten minutes later by the slamming of a car door and the front door opening, revealing her mother.

"Hey honey, how was your day?" asked Veronica Hastings.

"Splendid." Replied Spencer.

Veronica had noticed something off in her daughters behavior over the past couple weeks, but hadn't questioned it. But now she had no choice but to. "Spencer, you know don't you," Veronica asked her daughter.

Spencer looked up and met her mother's gaze for the first time in two weeks. Spencer just nodded her head, letting out an exasperated sigh. "How could you not tell me? How could you sit there and act like everything is perfectly fine?! How could you let my best friend go to jail for something she didn't do?! HOW?! Because of you, I have had to stop visiting Aria since I found out the truth! I can't stand to be around her since I know who really killed Ali. She knew I was doing some investigating and the last time she asked me if I knew anything new, I had to lie and say no! Do you know how hard it was to lie to her, mom? Do you? It wasn't easy considering I live with the murderer!" Spencer screamed at her mother.

Veronica just stood there dumbfounded, not able to find words to retort to her daughter. When she did finally find words, she could only hope her daughter would listen to what she had to say. "Spence, honey, please listen to me. I never wanted to put Aria behind bars, but I couldn't let us get a bad reputation. Her family was already having problems so I thought it would be fine, but now I don't really know why I thought that would make anything better for us. If anything, it made you miserable and I'm sorry. It just seemed like a good thing to do at the time and I wish now that I never would have sent her away and just confessed right then and there. You don't know how hard it was to look at her, Spencer. To sit there and say she killed someone when you know she didn't do it was the hardest thing I could have ever done. Especially since she grew up with you and I'm like her second mother. I know she will never look at me the same again, and I know she will probably never forgive me for what I did, but I don't want it to ruin y'all's friendship, Spence. I'm gonna go to the jail tomorrow and confess and see what we can do to get her out. But do me a favor, please go visit her right now and tell her this. Please, Spencer," Veronica begged. Spencer had tears in her eyes and she just nodded her head yes, grabbed her car keys and made her way out the door to head to the prison.

Spencer pulled up to the prison gates twenty minutes later and made her way inside. She was led to the visiting room and seated, only having to wait for Aria to come out and see her. When she saw Aria, tears started streaming down her face, finally feeling relieved that she was seeing her best friend for the first time in weeks and because she was about to tell her the devastating news for the first time.

"Spencer! I can't believe you are here! Why did you finally decide to show up all of a sudden? I've missed your visits so much!" Aria said all in a rush.

"I-I have some news to tell you. Some news that you aren't going to want to hear, but need too. But first, why did you tell Ezra to stop visiting you and to move on? It's eating him alive and I can tell it's doing the exact same to you, Aria. You can't do this to yourself or him for that matter. Ezra loves you a hell of a lot and I hope you know that. He hasn't been himself these past couple weeks in class," said Spencer.

Aria had tears streaming down her face and she wiped them away. "Spencer, I love him with all my heart and I just couldn't let him come and visit me and act like it wasn't bothering him to have to come to jail to visit his girlfriend and he shouldn't have to do that, Spence. I know I hurt him, damn; it hurt me for the first week after I told him to stop visiting me. It wasn't easy getting up the courage to spit those words out at him, to be frank, it honestly hurt like hell. To tell him to move on felt like poison on my tongue, it was something that should have never been said. I can still remember what his face looked like after I told him that. It completely dropped from happiness to total nothingness. You couldn't detect a single emotion until he began to speak again, and his voice was thick with sadness, and it was unbearable. I had to look away, and when he left, I was somewhat relieved, but became depressed at the same time."

Spencer looked at her friend and gave a half smile. "Hey, you know it doesn't bother him to come and visit you. He loves you, and he would go anywhere and do anything to visit you, to see you. Ezra told me he misses your voice, and your face. He can't stand it, Ar. If you would please just let him come and visit you, that's all he needs," replied Spencer.

"I know, and I'll think about it. Now, what was the news? I hope I can handle it," said Aria.

"Okay, as you know, the last time you asked me if I had any new information on what happened that night, I got up and walked out. Well, I had information but I couldn't bear to tell anyone. I finally told Ezra today and he was the one who persuaded me to come here and tell you, but first he managed to get me to confront the actual killer. That person was also someone who told me to come here and tell you what I'm about to say. Aria, the murderer of Ali, it was- it was my mom." Spencer dared a look at Aria who just sat there, stunned at what she had just heard from her best friend.

"Spencer, you can't be serious," Aria nearly choked.

"Oh, but I am. I confronted her about it and she told me that she was terribly sorry to do this to you and that she is coming up here in the morning to confess and to see if she can get you out in a couple months or maybe less than that. She really is truly sorry, Aria. I found a letter in her office and it was an apology letter to you and she said so much in it about how she was sorry she done this to you and she told me that it was hard to stand there in front of the court room and say you killed someone when she knew you were completely innocent. She will never truly forgive herself for this, Aria. Just know that. Please, you don't have to forgive her, but please try and understand. She told me that since your family was already going through hard times she figured it wouldn't matter, but she said her logic was stupid and she really didn't know why she thought that. It never really made sense. Just because y'all were going through a hard time, adding sending you to jail would just make things worse and now she realizes that. She realized that as soon as you were said to be guilty. Look, I'm sorry for not telling this to you sooner, but it was just so hard to come to terms with. I understand if you hate me right now, but just don't shut me out forever and do yourself a favor and let Ezra back into your life. It would do all of us some good," said Spencer.

"Spencer, I don't hate you. I understand how hard this was for you to come to terms with. Your mom killed one of our best friends for crying out loud, I can see how this is hard for you and I don't judge you for not telling me. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to our friendship because we are solid and after everything, I know you are always going to be here for me and I will always be here for you. And I can't fully forgive your mom right now, but she is like a second mother to me and eventually I will come around. Do I like her any less than I did before? No, I don't. My feelings for her haven't changed. I still love her like a mother and always will. Do I wish things were different right now? Of course I do, but you can't change the past. What's done is done and it's over. Everything will eventually pass and will be back to normal," replied Aria.

Spencer wiped away the tears from her eyes and smiled at Aria. "Thanks for understanding. I guess I will see you tomorrow, bye Ar. Love you!" Spencer said as she stood up and hugged Aria before exiting the visiting room. Once she got to her car, she let the tears fall like a waterfall, unable to stop them, but she didn't care. She grabbed her phone and texted Ezra, asking him if she could come over to his apartment. She had gotten his number when they started working on finding new information together, and she figured it might come in handy to have it one day, and today was that day. Ezra replied saying she could come over and she quickly pulled out of the parking lot and made her way to his apartment.

Fifteen minutes later, Spencer sat on the sofa in Ezra's apartment, tissue in hand and constantly wiping her eyes with it. Ezra was seated across from her on the sofa, gently rubbing her arm, trying to soothe her.

"She just accepted it, Ezra. She didn't lash out or anything. I don't know why she didn't! It doesn't make any sense!" Spencer sobbed uncontrollably to Ezra and he just sat there listening to everything she had to say.

"Maybe she is okay with it, Spencer. Maybe she knows that your mom didn't want to hurt her, and Aria isn't one to hold a grudge for very long. She is probably hurt, but she isn't going to let that affect anything. The hurt will eventually subside and everything will be fine again, I promise," said Ezra reassuringly.

Spencer looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Ezra. And I told Aria about you and she said she would think about letting you come and visit, and I'm not going to let her think about it. I'm going back to visit her tomorrow and you are coming with me. Deal? She misses you so much and she told me it was like poison on her tongue to tell you to see other people and forget about her. She said she knew you were unhappy having to come and visit her in jail, but I told her you weren't and that you would go anywhere or do anything to be with her and she finally agreed that you would. Ezra, she loves you to pieces and the last thing that I know she wants to happen is for you to get hurt and I know you feel the same about her. So, tomorrow you are coming with me. We are skipping school and going to the jail," Spencer explained.

Ezra just nodded and relaxed back into the sofa, Spencer doing the same. They just sat there for a little while, both trying to process everything that was just said between the two before Ezra spoke up.

"Would you like to stay for dinner or do you have to leave?"

"I need to go home and talk to my mom, but thanks for the offer," Spencer answered with a smile. She stood up from where she was sitting and headed towards the apartment door, Ezra following behind her. "Thanks for letting me stop by. I needed someone to talk to after everything," Spencer said. Ezra gave her a small nod of his head and smiled as she exited his apartment. He knew Aria had the best friends, but he knew that Spencer was the best out of all of them and would do everything she could to be there for Aria in any way.

* * *

Back at Spencer's house, Spencer went and sat down in the living room, ready to talk with her mom again. Veronica walked in and sat down beside her daughter, not exactly knowing what to say since the earlier events that had taken place.

"Mom, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier, but it was just a lot to take in at once. I wish you would have told me and not let Aria go to jail, but those events are in the past and we can't help that any longer. I talked with Aria and she said that she can't fully forgive you right now, but she will come around because you are like a second mom to her and she loves you. She also said that nothing between you two has changed based on feelings and that is excellent considering what you have done to her," said Spencer.

Veronica looked at her daughter and just sighed, she really didn't know what to say and she felt horrible about the whole situation. "Spencer, thank you for talking to her and I love you so much. I understand fully if you don't want to be near me right now and I'm okay with that. Please go and get some rest and don't worry about me. I will be fine," replied Veronica.

Spencer nodded and stood up, walking upstairs to her room. She sat down on her bed and pulled out her phone to text Ezra, telling him she talked to her mom and that they were still going to continue with their plans for tomorrow.

The next morning, spencer woke up to her alarm, and got ready for school, although she wasn't going today. Once she was finished getting ready she made her way downstairs and drove to Ezra's place, meeting him outside and she got into his car.

"You do realize your mom is going to be at the jail at the same time as us, right?" asked Ezra.

Spencer looked over to him and smiled. "I know, which is why I want to be there to hear her confess that she was the one who killed Ali. I really want to hear her confess, Ezra."

Ezra drove to the jail and sat out in the parking lot, waiting for Veronica to arrive. Once Spencer and Ezra saw her pull up, they waited for her to go inside to building before they got out. They eased out of the car and into the building, staying out of sight of veronica.

"Okay, I'm gonna walk up there and ask to see Aria, say I have an assignment to discuss with her that she turned in," whispered Ezra.

"Okay," responded Spencer.

Ezra casually walked up to the desk beside Veronica and asked to see Aria. Veronica didn't even acknowledge that Ezra was standing five feet from her and she continued talking to the policeman at the front. As Ezra grabbed the pen to sign in, he heard the words he never thought he would hear.

"I need to confess something about the Montgomery case. Miss Montgomery really wasn't the one who killed the DiLaurentis girl. It was a man named Ezra. Ezra Fitz," said Veronica.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, the pen dropped from Ezra's hand and his face went pale as a ghost. Only then did Veronica look over to see him standing there, a sly smile plastered on her face.

**Hope you liked what I did with this chapter! Suggestions on how Spencer tries to keep Ezra from going to jail are welcome! Please review and let me know what you think! (: **


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